It's a matter of minutes before we arrive to my house, just like the soldier promised. The same soldier helps me out of the helicopter. Everything is in ruins, but my house is as good as new. Also glimmers house is untouched, which kind of calms me down a bit. The soldier doesn't leave my side until my mom opens the door and he is sure I am home safe. I wanted to thank him so badly, but the sight of my mother bought me to tears again and I just ran towards her and cried on her shoulder. "oh god, I was so worried about you" she said, her eyes full of tears. She sits down on the couch and I cuddle in her lap. Mason sits on the couch in front of us and I am glad he is safe. "any sign of dad or Alexander, any news?" he asks, and I wish he never did, because I almost forgot about them and I don't want to cry all over again. I hesitate then I say "dea- dead" I say trying to swallow the thick tears. My mom claps her hand against her mouth, her eyes open wide with more tears than mine. Mason's mouth slips open "no" I hear him whisper. And he bursts into tears. He runs to his room and closes the door behind him. I want to run and calm him down, but it's no use because I can't calm myself. Amelia appears minutes later. "why is mason crying? What happened?" she asks and then looks at mom straight in the eye. "why are you crying?" she asks softly as she makes her way to us. she sits down on the couch next to us and puts her hand on mom's shoulder. Thick, hot tears trace my cheeks. "what's wrong? What are you hiding from me? why is everyone crying? And where is dad and alexander, Alice?" says Amelia. "dead" I say. And Amelia looks at me, stunned. Her jaw drops open wide, unbelieving her ears and her eyes react on their own. They form tears and she covers her face in her hands as she cries. I spend the rest of the day cuddled in mom's lap. We are too afraid to sleep the night, so my mom does some hot chocolate. We drink from our cups silently. And When we are done, we practice the traditions. After someone dies, we usually take a piece of bread each and throw it in the fire. we pray for the dead to rest in peace and it's done. It's a tradition we practice since birth. We usually hold a funeral the next day, but in war it doesn't seem like we will ever set a funeral. as we sit by the fire light, I fall asleep. The next day I wake up and spend most of the day sitting on the couch with Amelia in my lap, mom next to me, sleeping and Mason in his room. We are out of food, so I wait an hour after the explosions and bombs stop. After I make sure the coast is clear I wear my hoodie and jeans and get out and try to check if there is any shops in the unharmed areas like our house. I walk to the neighboring neighborhood and I assume it isn't so harmed although it seems empty. Well obviously, the people hid in their houses afraid of dying. I walk towards the bakery hoping its open and good for me it is. "morning Mr. Matthew" I say as I enter the bakery. Mr. Matthew is the owner of the bakery and he is a really old friend of my father. I am not sure if he even knows the fact that my father is dead. And he doesn't indeed. "hey there Mrs. Alice, how is your dad?" I look at the ground and try to hide away the pain in my eyes. "you alright?" I look up and nod. "I am good thanks... umm I need a loaf of bread please" Mr. Matthew raises his eyebrows. "well, well Mrs. Alice, a loaf of bread it is, then" he opens the basket of bread and puts a loaf in a bag then hands it to me. "thanks, how much is that?" I ask. "Oh, you could keep that, I am sure you will need it. You didn't tell me how your father is?" he says. I hesitate for a while and then speak "his office, well it... it burned and-" I look away. Mr. Matthew looks concerned. "and?" "well my dad was in there... he- he is dead" I say. Mr. Matthew looks at me with wide eyes and I see the pain in his eyes. All these years, since childhood they were friends, really close friends. And the fact that my father is dead means a lot to the baker and pains him as much as it pains me. "I am sorry, may he rest in peace" he says, and I could hear the pain in his voice. I am sure that the moment I leave he may start crying. I take the bread and thank him. I also leave 10 coins on his desk, but he gives them back and tells me that I need to feed my family. as I leave the shop, I think I hear an explosion. It sounds far so I just ignore it. As soon as I enter our neighborhood, I see smoke coming from the distance and I get to the conclusion that explosion was near. I start running hoping my family is safe but just as I reach the house, a bomb hit's it. Someone holds me from the waist and pulls me away just in time. I don't have time to look who it is. We both duck in as the house explodes. The persons head is right above me and their hands are on my ears protecting them. I close my eyes shut. I wish this was just a nightmare. I wish I could wake up fast. When the fire stops, I raise my head coughing from the smoke around and so is the person who saved me. I turn around and see David, glimmers older brother. His copper hair falling to his eyes. why did he save me? "you okay?" he chokes. I nod. I look at the house in ruins. That house is mine or was mine. And. My family! they were in there. I run into the ashes and ruins "STOP, ALICE!" shouts David as I run toward my fallen house. No one, not even David can stop me from running. I lost everything! My entire family! my house! I have nothing, no one. Hot tears make their way down my chin As I run. But David seems to have caught up with me. he holds me and turns me around, so I am face to face with him. He looks me straight in the eye "don't please!" he begs. "for glimmer" the name glimmer brings me back to my senses "you don't understand, I lost my entire family! why are you even trying to save my life?" I say. "for Alexander, for glimmer, for your father, for all the loved ones we lost" he answers. I turn around and look ahead at the ruins left from my house. "you could go but I will come with you" he tells me. I nod and we walk into the ruins of the house, in where it must have been the kitchen lays three bodies. I run towards them as the tears roll down my cheeks as fast as a blink of an eye. My mom, mason, and Amelia, all dead! I kneel down in front of the three bodies. I could here, someone breathing but I know its only David. No, not David someone is breathing other than both of us. Mason. I could see his chest rise and fall. Hope flutters inside me. "Mason, Mason" I say shaking him. His eyes flutter open. "It's okay, It's okay." I say as he gasps for breath, but I sound more like reassuring myself than him. "Alice?" he asks. "yes, it's me Alice" he manages a small smile. I turn around to look at David. "help me" he doesn't argue, all he does is kneel down next to me. he checks Masons body to see if he is hurt but all he finds is scratches here and there. "he must have passed out after the explosion; but I reassure you there is no major injuries." I nod. " what about the rest, is there any chance they could be alive?" I ask. David walks towards my mom first and puts his fingers in front of her nostrils. He looks at me and shakes his head, which confirms she is dead. He moves to Amelia and does the same. He shakes his head again. All dead only mason left for me! hot tears fall down my cheeks. I take away the hair from Amelia's eyes and kiss her forehead "I love you" I whisper. I do the same to my mother, but I can't control my emotions anymore and I burst into tears hugging my mom's dead body. "please mom! Don't leave me!" I sob. Mason sits next to me a river of tears flowing from his eyes. he puts a hand on my shoulder and since he is the only one there for me, I turn around and hug him, sobbing at his shoulder. He feels like Alexander. "I will never leave you" I whisper. "me neither" he whispers back and kisses my head. I let go and kiss his cheek then turn around to see David watching Amelia a tear walking down his cheek. I know what he is thinking. She reminds him of glimmer. I walk up to him. "everything Is changing! we have to leave!" I say watching my little sister. He takes a breath and looks at me. Those wild green eyes meet mine and I know what he is thinking. Where are we going to leave? How? I shake my head. He looks down and nods. "we will have to figure it out, though" I say. "I don't know" " I will go pack some stuff, plus I was wondering what about your family?" he shakes his head. I walk deep into the ruins. I stop at where it must have been my room. The first thing I find is my phone and headphones both unharmed. I pick them up, who knows if I will need them. I pick out my school bag and empty it from my schoolbooks. It looks ashy and dusty, but it doesn't matter, at least it is still capable of holding my stuff. I pack my phone and headphones then I walk up to the closet and take a bunch of clothes and pack them in. I find some books on the ground. They must have fell from the shelf. I pick a greenish blackish book 'Another world-gemstones adventure' I remember this book! My dad bought it to me when I was younger. I have the full collection. Alexander and mom bought me half of the collection and dad bought me the other half. I pack them in my bag. I open my drawers and find a small necklace that opens. I open it and see a picture of me and my siblings. It was a gift from Amelia on Thanksgiving Day. A tear runs down my cheek and small smile appears on my face as I remember the happy days. I wash the tear away and put the necklace on. I walk out to Amelia's room. I pick one of her bags that was safely hidden, I then pick out her blue overalls that I made her dress into a day ago. I put my face into them. The smell of my little sister. A tear flows down. I put them neatly into the bag and then pick some other clothes of hers. I go to her shelf and pick out her favorite bedtime story that I used to read to her when she was younger. I put it in the bag and then I pick up her little teddy bear which she loved so much. A pick some of her baby clothes and pack them in, too. before I leave, I spot a small piece of paper on the desk. I walk over and pick it up. It was written nicely in Amelia's handwriting:
Life is changing, we lost dad and alexander and I know how you feel. It may be too long before you read this but if I die remember that I always love you! I will always be there for you, even if I wasn't physically right there. if you survive, which I wish you do. Remember that you were, and you are always loved! Leave this country far away. Don't bother to look back! Go somewhere safe. But before you go will please take a piece of my hair and keep it with you! So, you will always remember you are not alone. Take one from mom's hair too! I truly love you Alice and you were a great sister! Love ~ Amelia, your little sister.
A stream of tears flow down my cheek as I read the last words of my sister. Next to the paper is a sister necklace, one for me and one for her. I put the hearts together, so the necklaces are combined. Then I break them, I take the one with the big sister and wear it on. I pick the other piece which read 'little sis' and then I pick up the paper, a scissor from her drawer and the bag that I am sure I put everything into. I walk out to the room into the kitchen where I find David hugging someone. He is hugging his younger brother, the one I saw at the death of glimmer. I walk to Amelia and put the necklace around her neck. Then I take a piece of her hair and cut it. I put it into a bag, and I do the same to mom. Mason is packing up some stuff from his room and from the attic. I put the scissors into the bag with me because I don't know if I would need them, then I turn to David. "is he coming with us?" I ask. They both look up at me and I see that they were both crying. "yeah" I smile sympathetically at the small boy and ask what's his name "peter" he says. His voice is tiny and reminds me of Mason when he was little. I smile at him, then turn back to David. "as soon as mason finishes, I want to take Amelia and mom to the hills. There, I guess it would be safe. I will bury them there" I say. I know it's stupid, but I can't help leaving them behind in the ashes. To my surprise, David nods and stands up. it's a matter of minutes before Mason is there. "hey, you done?" I nod. I tell mason what I am thinking and we get to work.